I'm pleased the Lord to help
us this evening as we continue our meditation in the Gospel
of Matthew chapter 5, commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount.
And this evening we'll speak on verses 10, 11 and 12. So it's
the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in verses 10, 11 and
12. Blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall
say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice,
and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for
so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. these two verses really combine
together and they direct us to observe that there will be that
persecution for those who walk a God-honouring life, and also
there will be that reviling and persecution and all manner of
evil, spoken against the people of God. But in both of those
situations, there is a wonderful looking forward and a wonderful
outcome. In the first and the tenth verse,
we're told, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And then in
the twelfth verse, rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great
is your reward in heaven. for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. So the Lord is setting before
us really the scene which the people of God should expect to
encounter and the difficulties and the trials and the oppositions
in this life but to look beyond this life to that eternal state
in glory. And you see this should therefore
put things in a right perspective. And we should never think that
our life on this earth is going to be an easy one, because a
true Christian's life never has been and never will be an easy
one. There is opposition, there is
persecution, and we are reviled, and we do hear and have all manner
of evil spoken against us falsely. But you see the blessing is,
firstly, if we are persecuted for righteousness sake, and secondly,
if all these things are for my sake. So what a blessing it is
to be found doing those things which are for the sake and favour
of Almighty God, that our souls might be blessed. Now the Word
of God has many verses and many accounts to encourage us and
to prove that such words as this are indeed true. Sometimes we
read things and we pass over them a bit rapidly and don't
really absorb them, but these words are indeed very, very true. If we turn to the Hebrews, that
well-known chapter, the 11th chapter, that tells us so much
about the glorious situation of faith. As we come towards
the end of that chapter, we're told, who through faith subdued
kingdoms, wrought righteousness, not unrighteousness, wrought
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched
the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, at a weakness
were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the
armies of the aliens, and then we read, women received their
dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting
deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Surely that mirrors what we've
spoken here in these verses. And then he says, And others
had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of
bonds and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, They wandered
about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented,
of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and
in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And these
all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the
promises God having provided, some better thing for us, that
they without us should not be made perfect. Well we have then
that great testimony in that 11th chapter of Hebrews to encourage
us today to recognize that there will be this persecution and
there will be opposition but it will have a good end. Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake. It doesn't
say blessed are they which are persecuted. Many people are persecuted
today for doing things which are justly wrong. But here we
have this statement, which are persecuted for righteousness
sake. And therefore, when we are persecuted
like this, to look ahead and realise there is a blessed favour
to come, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, the Apostle John,
He tells us, marvel not, my brethren, that the world hate you. You see, if we're a friend of
the world, there won't be any hatred, will there? But you see,
if you and I walk uprightly in this world, setting a Christ-like
example, there will be those who will point their finger at
us, and who will criticize us, and mock us. But let us not forget
the great favour that there will be an end to these things and
there will be this great and glorious blessing that we can
rejoice in and be exceedingly glad because there is a reward
in heaven. Not because of what we have done,
but because of the grace that God has given to us to be able
to follow his way. then the Apostle Peter tells
us something which is really important to remember. And in the first epistle, and
in the second chapter, and towards the end, we're told, servants
be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good
and gentle, but also to the frail, those who oppose. For this is
thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering
wrongfully. For what glory is it, when ye
be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But
if when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently,
that this is acceptable with God. Well, that's an important
word from the Apostle Peter to realise that when we do well
and we're criticised for it and then we don't reject, we then
carry on peaceably and graciously. What a mercy that is, because
it's then fulfilling this word and we can realise that such
a position we are numbered amongst those who are blessed. who are
indeed persecuted and those who endure all manner of evil against
us falsely. Well, there are those statements
which are false and it's good to realise that the Lord is with
us in these situations and he shows and gives his grace in
these times of need. Naturally, we don't want to bow
down to such criticism and such opposition, especially when it's
wrong. But what a favour when we're given the grace of some
of these previous statements, to live peaceably and to have
a pure heart and to be merciful. in these situations. Well, that's
the statement of the Apostle Peter. And of course, the Old
Testament also tells us the truth of these things. And in Jeremiah,
Jeremiah tells us, he says, wherefore came I forth out of the womb?
What was the reason for that? To see labor and sorrow, that
my days should be consumed with shame didn't expect that situation
but you see that is really the lot of the people of God and
the reason it is so is so that we realize that we don't have
a home on this earth or at least not a permanent home we're thankful
for our natural homes but let us be looking forward to that
home which the Lord has gone before to provide for his people
and then in the Second epistle to the Chronicles, the very last
verse just before we come on to Ezra. And of course the verses
in the beginning of Ezra repeat the verses at the end of that
second book of the Chronicles. And there we read, but they mocked
the messengers of God. See those who were ungodly, they
mocked the messengers of God. And people today mock the messengers
of God outwardly. Some people mock the messengers
of God inwardly. They appear to be all right, but actually
they mock them inwardly. They don't really receive the
word of God. But they mock the messages of
God and despised his words and misused his prophets until the
wrath of the Lord arose against the people till there was no
remedy. Now we know of course the solemn
position that occurred then, they were taken captive and went
down to Babylon for those 70 years. But there we have the
picture of those who did walk in a godly way. They were mocked
and they were despised. You see things haven't really
changed have they from that time. We have the evidence of God's
servants in the Acts of the Apostles, and of course we've gone through
that recently, and what a wonderful record it is of God's favour
and of God's mercy to the Church of God and to the Apostles and
those with them in those days. And as we come down towards the
end of that seventh chapter, that's the Apostles, we read
these words of Stephen as he gave that wonderful testimony.
And he said, ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and
ears, you do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did. So do ye. Which of the prophets
have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which
showed before of the coming of the just one of whom ye have
been now the betrayers and murderers who have received the law by
the disposition of angels and have not kept it." Now you see
this cut those people to the heart. This great truth that
Stephen was able to tell them of how they'd reacted, how they
were reacting and how their forefathers had reacted and they were no
different. Well we know of course that they
were so angry at that position that they stoned Stephen and
they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran
upon him in one accord and cast him out of the city and stoned
him and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the young man's
feet whose name was Saul And they stoned Stephen, calling
upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled
down and cried in a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge. And when he had said this, he
fell asleep. Well, that was a very wonderful
fulfillment, really, of this word. Blessed are they which
are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. What a clear demonstration of
fulfilment, and that word there was, in the life of God's servant
Stephen. And, well, we could run through
many occasions in the Acts of the Apostles. We've already done
that, of course, in our studies, but perhaps just one more reference
in the Acts of the Apostles, and that's chapter 17. And chapter
17, verses 6, to 7, which reads, And when they
found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the
rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside
down are come hither also, whom Jason hath received. And these
all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there
be another one Jesus. And they troubled the people
and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. And
when they had taken security of Jason and of the other, they
let them go. But you see, Jason had been taken,
taken captive for doing those things which were right and God
honouring. So we should perhaps today, we
don't see it so much do we here in our country, there's so much
ease. But we have observed, haven't we, just in these last few days
with those street preachers who persecuted for speaking the truth
of God, the Word of God. They were only quoting the very
Word of God in the King James Version and because people were
offended against it. And people will be offended by
the Word of God. But it is righteous words which
are being spoken And we should never be ashamed, we should never
be afraid to speak the Word of God. Because the Word of God
is the very Word of God, which is that which God has ordained
to bring people to salvation. So let us not think that such
verses are only appropriate for that which is past. they have
always been appropriate, and none less than they are today. To a large extent, of course,
in our nation we've been exempted from these kind of things, but
it may be that the day is drawing far nearer than we thought. when
there may be much persecution that we may have to endure. And if it does come to us, let
us remember this great and glorious truth, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. See, that's the outcome. Our
life on this earth is fast passing away. It's just a very short
life, and then an eternal life of happiness and bliss with the
Lord Jesus Christ. Well, the Apostle Paul knew the
truth of these things, and he tells us, as it is written, for
thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as
sheep for the slaughter. And that's what it appeared.
But he goes on to say, nay, in all these things, we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us. You see, what a blessing
it is to be a conqueror, not in our strength. We're more than
conquerors through him, the Lord Jesus Christ, his great and glorious
finished work, the great price he paid on the cross at Calvary,
when he died that sin atoning death and shed his most precious
blood so that you and I have the hope and the good hope it
is of eternal life and we can indeed thank God for such a truth
as this. Then also the apostle when he
wrote to the Corinthians he tells us in the second epistle and
the first chapter he tells us This truth, which is following
on really, he says, for as the sufferings of Christ abound in
us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. There's a wonderful
balancing here. You see, if we don't know fellowship
with the sufferings, we won't know the consolation. And if
we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. That's the
blessing, isn't it? And that's what, by God's grace,
you and I can look forward to with a gracious anticipation
of that which the Lord has gone to prepare for his people. And finally, the little epistle
of James, where in the last chapter, the 10th verse, take my brethren,
the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an
example of suffering, affliction and of patience. Behold, we count
them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience
of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord. The Lord is very
pitiful and tender mercy. So James also brings this to
our attention. Well, let us ponder these things
and realize, as the Lord himself said, rejoice and be exceedingly
glad. That's not something which you
and I would naturally do if we're persecuted and if we're reviled,
and if people speak all manner of evil against us falsely, yet
here is this wonderful truth that we can meditate on and rejoice
in the wonderful favour, rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for
great is your reward in heaven. And what do we do? We're joining
hands. with those who've gone before,
for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Well, it's a great privilege,
isn't it, to be numbered with the living Church of God. And
may we indeed desire to be numbered with them now and through eternity. Blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad,
for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. Amen.